Wednesday, January 5, 2011

Review: The Good Husband of Zebra Drive by Alexander McCall Smith


Here is a summary of The Good Husband of Zebra Drive from Alexander McCall Smith's website:

In the eighth installment of Alexander McCall Smith's endlessly enjoyable, bestselling series, the judicious Precious Ramotswe comes to discover what is true, stable, and genuine in an ever-shifting world. There is rarely a dull moment in the life of Precious Ramotswe, and on Zebra Drive and Tlokweng Road many changes are afoot. Mr. J.L.B. Matekoni wants be put in charge of a case involving an errant husband, and Mma Makutsi is considering leaving the agency, taking her near perfect score on the Botswana Secretarial College typing exam with her. Meanwhile, Mma Ramotswe has been asked to investigate a series of unexpected deaths at the hospital in Mochudi. Along the way, she encounters other tricky mysteries, and once again displays her undying love for Botswana, a country of which she is justly proud.

My Review:
This was another heart-warming installment of the No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency Series delivered by Alexander McCall Smith.  As all of our favorite characters are settling into their lives with the changes that have taken place in the previous books, many seem to feeling a bit of stagnation from the daily tasks that are becoming monotonous.

The mysteries within these series are usually so minimal, but they really help us to get to know the characters in a personal way.  How they go about solving these capers is really a glimpse into each one's personal being.  Mma Ramotswe is one who just sits back and pays attention while events unfold without making judgements beforehand.  While Mma Makutsi is very judgemental up front and really hasn't figured out how to work with her instincts yet.

The characters are restless in this novel as J.L.B. decides that he has more to offer to the business than being a mechanic and should have a shot at the detective work as well.  Mma Makutsi believes there is much more out in the world to offer her since she did score 97 percent at the secretarial college.  Even one of the apprentices is longing for more out of life and decides to take a chance in the business world.

I've been reading this series with my book club and we've enjoyed every one so far.  These are usually very simple stories with strong moral messages laced within the pages and I do not hesitate to recommend this series to other book clubs.  With themes of pride, obligations, Africa, and just a bit of mystery you may enjoy this book also.

My Rating:  3/5

Disclosure:  This book is from my personal collection and I read it as a book club selection for my own entertainment.

23 comments:

bermudaonion said...

I haven't read any books from this series in a while - I need to get back to it.

Elisabeth said...

Not only do I enjoy reading this series but I started buying them. So, yes indeed, I have to own the whole collection. I think I am up to Book 10. I call them my slow leisurely reads!

Veens said...

SO many of my freinds have recommended this series to me, i need to really start getting them.

Darlene said...

I read the first one and loved it but never went back. I keep meaning to pick up on the series again as I did enjoy the first one.

Unknown said...

I have wondered about these book for quite a while but havn't read any yet.The series sounds interesting and I like the idea of getting to knoiw each character through the little mysteries!

Thank you for an enjoyable review!

The Bumbles said...

I wonder how the TV series compares to the books - because they really do sound quite delightful. I am a big fan of strongly developed characters that I can give myself over to.

Anonymous said...

buy diazepam online molar mass diazepam valium if - long does 10 mg diazepam last

Anonymous said...

buy generic ativan lorazepam online kaufen - ativan side effects breathing

Anonymous said...

cheap generic ativan ativan ep 904 - how to buy lorazepam

Anonymous said...

buy diazepam diazepam 5 mg mylan 345 - cheapest diazepam online

Anonymous said...

buy zolpidem ambien side effects yahoo - ambien cr images

Anonymous said...

buy xanax online do companies drug test xanax - buy xanax online uk

Anonymous said...

lorazepam drug taking 6 ativan - ativan kidney disease

Anonymous said...

ativan pharmacy ativan withdrawal duration - lorazepam normon 1mg 50

Anonymous said...

can you sniff diazepam diazepam dosage epilepsy - buy diazepam 10mg tablets

Anonymous said...

generic ambien buy ambien cr generic cost - ambien side effects blurred vision

Anonymous said...

soma 350 mg buy aura soma bottles - carisoprodol 350 mg dan

Anonymous said...

buy valium online buy 1000 valium online - buy valium from india online

Anonymous said...

soma drug carisoprodol glaucoma - buy cheap generic soma

Anonymous said...

generic valium valium vs xanax erowid - where to buy valium in australia

Anonymous said...

soma online buy soma online overnight - buy soma online usa

Anonymous said...

buy valium from canada generic valium vs name brand - buy valium belize

Anonymous said...

buy diazepam generic valium valium 5 mg comprimidos - buy valium online overnight delivery